PLASTICS

Design and Manufacture

PLASTICS THE BASICS
 Natural plastics: fossilised tree resin and latex
 Form of rubber
 Synthetic plastics: Chemically manufactured
from carbon based materials such as crude oil,
coal and gas
 Basic chemicals used in creating plastics are
from coal and crude oil.
 Obtained by using heat and chemical catalysts
PLASTIC PROPERTIES
 Ideal for mass production of quality products
 Light in weight

 Resistance to corrosion

 Low thermal conductivity

 Electrically resistant

 Easily formed

 Recyclable
FORMS PLASTIC COMES IN
 Profiled sheets, rods, tubes and bars
 Moulding compounds

 Thin layers of films and sheets

 Foam

 Casting compounds

 Paint, varnish and lacquer used for finishing

 Filaments and fibres

 Composites that contain reinforcing material

 Heated

THERMOSETTING PLASTICS
Permanently

 Formed by chemical reactions hard Softens

that leave them in a relatively

fixed state.
Shaped
 They cannot be softened or
reformed when reheated.
 Can withstand high
temperature, excess heat will
cause material to decompose.
 Used when products needs
resistance to extremes in
temperature, electrical current,
chemicals and wear.
THERMOSETTING PLASTICS
 Some examples of thermosetting plastics are:
 Epoxy Resin ER(Araldite) – good adhesive, low shrinkage,
strong when reinforced. Used in bonding, laminating, surface
coating, printed circuit boards
 Polyester Resin PR(Orel Beetle) – stiff, hard, brittle, resilient
as laminated GPR, formed without heat or pressure. Used in
panels for car bodies and boat hulls, casting and embedding
 Melamine formaldehyde MF(Formica Melaware) – waterproof,
tasteless, odourless, mark and scratch resistant. Used in
worktops, tableware, buttons, electrical insulation.
 Urea Formaldehyde UF(Aerolyte Cascamite) – good adhesive,
stiff, hard, brittle, good electrical insulator. Used in electrical
fittings, paper and textile coating, wood adhesive.
 Phenol Formaldehyde PF (phenol methanal) – Hard, brittle
plastic with dark colour, glossy finish. Resists heat. Used in
parts for domestic appliances, bottles tops, kettle/iron/saucepan
handles.
 Heated

THERMOPLASTICS Hardens Softens

 Softens when heated, hardens

when cooled down
Shaped
 Can be repeated indefinitely

 When soft they are easily formed

under pressure.
 PLASTIC MEMORY – this is
the property of the thermoplastic
returning to its original shape
when softened after being
shaped.
THERMOPLASTIC
 Polyethene HDPE – High density, tough, resists chemicals, feels waxy.
Used for rigid objects: buckets, bowls, sterilised containers.
 Polyethene LDPE – Low density, soft and pliable, electrical insulator.
Used for flexible objects: bags, bottles, cable, sheathing, toys.
 Polypropene PP – rigid, light, good chemical resistance, resistance to
fatigue, bending. Used for crates, seats, string, rope, medical
equipment, hinges, kitchenware, film.
 Polystyrene PS – light, buoyant, stiff, water/weather resistant. Used
for packaging, containers, insulation and toys.
 Polyvinyl chloride UPVC – rigid, abrasive resistance, water/weather
resistant. Used for piped, gutters, bottles, roofing, window frames.
 Poly-methacrylate PMMA (Acrylic/Perspex) – Stiff, hard, clear,
durable, scratches easily, easily machined and polished. Used for
signs, lighting, reflectors/lenses cases, jewellery.
 Nylon – Hard material, good resistance to wear and tear. Solid nylon
has low friction qualities and high melting point. Used in curtain rail
fittings, combs, clothes and gear wheels.
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
 Consists of two or more substances
 Combines to produce properties that no single
substance can achieve.
 One component forms the matrix (base) while the
other provides reinforcement
 Properties are controlled by size and distribution
of reinforcing substance.
EXAMPLE OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL
 Using carbon fibres embedded in Resin
 Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic CFRP
 Properties are:
 Low in density
 Light in wieght

 High tensile strength

 Better corrosion resistance and fatigue performance than

most metal alloys

 Used in aerospace industry and car frameworks.
PLASTIC PROCESSING
Plastics part 2
INJECTION MOULDING
 Allows large quantities of plastic components to be made
quickly
 Most important industrial process in mass production of
plastic goods.
 Costs of machining original moulds are very high therefore
necessary to sell large numbers of products to recover
costs.
 There are a few features which help identify this process:
 Sprue marks
 Draw angles
 Mould split lines
 Ejection pin marks
 Webs used for strength
 Variation of finishing techniques from high quality shine to texture
 INJECTION MOULDING

1. Granules of plastic powder are poured or fed into a hopper which stores it
until it is needed.
2. A heater heats up the tube and when it reaches a high temperature a
screw thread starts turning.
3. A motor turns a thread which pushes the granules along the heater
section which melts then into a liquid.
4. The liquid is forced into a mould where it cools into the shape (in this case
a sphere).
5. The mould then opens and the sphere is removed.
INJECTION MOULDING (USES)
 High volume, automated industrial
manufacturing process.
 Golf tees

 Spoons

 Wash basins

 Buckets

 Product casings
EXTRUSION

 Used for products with long uniform cross sections.

 Variety of metals and thermo-plastics are suited to the
extrusion process.

 Plastic is easier as it requires less force

 Polythene, PVC, polypropylene

 Lead, copper, brass, bronze, aluminium, steel

 Features that help identify this process;

 smooth-walled long sections
 Line texturisation
EXTRUSION

A machine is used to extrude materials which is very similar to the

injection moulding.
A motor turns a thread which feeds granules of plastic through a heater.
The granules melt into a liquid which is forced through a die, forming a
long 'tube like' shape.
The extrusion is then cooled and forms a solid shape. The shape of the die
determines the shape of the tube.
EXTRUSION (USES)
 Curtain rails
 Drainpipes

 Electric cable sheathing

 Fluorescent light covers

 Hose pipes
BLOW MOULDING
 Several variations to the process, producing various
sizes
 Finish is not as high a standard as injection moulding
 Good mould allows:
 Uniform thickness
 Complex shape
 Good quality of production
 Fast process
 Little waste
 Features that allow for identification:
 Mould separation lines
 Flash lines
 Any shape of bottle or container
 Transparent, opaque or coloured
BLOW MOULDING

The process is similar to injection moulding and extrusion.

1. The plastic is fed in granular form into a 'hopper' that
stores it.
2. A large thread is turned by a motor which feeds the
granules through a heated section.
3. In this heated section the granules melt and become a
liquid and the liquid is fed into a mould.
4. Air is forced into the mould which forces the plastic to the
sides, giving the shape of the bottle.
5. The mould is then cooled and is removed.
BLOW MOULDING (USES)
 Variety of mass produced bottles and liquid
containers, using variety of polymers and
laminates.
MOULD THROUGH COMPRESSION
The stages are as follows:
1. The mould is heated.
2. A 'slug' or piece of the plastic is
placed into the mould and warms
up.
3. The hydraulic press begins to
move down when the plastic has
reached the correct temperature..
4. As the upper and lower mould
meet, the plastic is compressed
into the shape of the mould.
5. The upper mould moves
upwards and the plastic piece (in
this case a dish) is removed.
COMPRESSION MOULDING (USES)
 Automotive distributor caps (cars)
 Camera cases

 Electrical wall sockets

 Handles

 Door knobs

 Light switches
Vacuum forming
VACUUM FORMING (USES)
 Packaging items that have complex shapes
 Trays
 Dishes

 Margarine tubs

 Toys
 Light panels
OTHER PROCESSES
 Calendering: Thermoplastics are squeezed
between hot rollers forming thin sheets or film
 Casting: useful for thermosetting plastics.
Molten plastic poured into mould
 Bending: thermoplastics heated along a line
using strip heater, folded to desired angle.
Bending jig sometimes used to hold in place.
 Fabrication: joining together using a
variation of fixings and adhesives
 Coating: powered thermoplastic melts on
surface of heated product.(dip coating)
 Forming: Layers o glass fibre matting and
polyester resin formed over a mould. Resin
cures it hardens giving rigidity to fibre/resin
matrix. Thermoplastic formed by heating
whole sheet till soft then pressed between two
formers.